All in all, I agree on all the points made by Hedge (this thread seems out of MAP, everybody agrees with everything). All levels of self defense, from H2H to weapon defense, should indeed be practiced in a realistic manner - i.e. by doing it and by having it done to you without a script.

That civilisation may not sink,
Its great battle lost,
Quiet the dog, tether the pony
To a distant post;
Our master Caesar is in the tent
Where the maps are spread,
His eyes fixed upon nothing,
A hand under his head.

At this point we should do a group hug and agree that we all also love dogs.

That civilisation may not sink,
Its great battle lost,
Quiet the dog, tether the pony
To a distant post;
Our master Caesar is in the tent
Where the maps are spread,
His eyes fixed upon nothing,
A hand under his head.

Think of an instructor teaching a defense against a lapel grab. The instructor shows the student to grab the hand and execute a wristlock. The students then take turns performing the technique.

This "defense" is flawed. Why? Because it distances you from the attack itself (also there is no resistance to the technique). It teaches the student to think "I know a defense for this!" without having to learn the attack they're defending against.

I agree with a lot of what you said, but just like everything else are degrees to things.

For example when self-defense drills at my dojo both people are supposed to be learning learning. The attacker IS supposed to be learning how to do the attack. During testing the attack is graded on how well they do the attack.

We also add in various degrees of resistance. The attacker is trying to find ways to counter the defense and since the "attacker" knows exactly what the "defense" is going to be they can often resist more effectively than in a spontaneous situation. The best defenses are the ones that still work when the attacker knows exactly what you are about to do, but he still can't stop it.

The main problem with this type of training is that often the attacks are announced. It is easy to do the right thing, when you know exactly what is coming. Once you learn and understand some defenses you can move to broader groups. For example, instead of working a defense for a left rear hook punch, allow all punches. Eventually you get to the point where all attacks are allowed.

I'm not saying self-defense drills are the end all, or even that they can replace sparring, only that they can be useful and can be modified to fill in the middle ground.